1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic mail (e-mail) systems and more particularly, to encrypted e-mail systems.
2. Related Art
Electronic mail, also known as e-mail, is a widely used means of communicating between communication devices such as computers. A conventional e-mail system enables sending e-mail notes or e-mail messages much like a conventional postal letter from a source to a destination. For example, a sender could send an e-mail message including a return e-mail address to a receiver at the receiver's e-mail address on another computer through a network connecting the computers. E-mail messages provide several advantages over conventional postal mail, such as, for example, faster preparation time, faster delivery time, a simpler addressing scheme than using name, street address or post office box, city, state and zip code, and lower cost. E-mail systems can provide an efficient means of distributing information internal to and external from an enterprise or business. However, conventional e-mail systems have limitations when used in, e.g., a manufacturing plant or production environment such as, e.g., a hospital, or retail business. For example, conventional e-mail systems require that each user have a computer with which to access the e-mail system. In a production or manufacturing environment, a machine operator often will not have access to a computer. Also, it may be unsafe in certain environments to permit a worker to be distracted by e-mail while performing tasks such as, e.g., monitoring a mission critical operation, such as where a worker is operating heavy machinery or a nurse in a hospital. Limitations of conventional e-mail systems can prevent many users within organizations from, e.g., accessing important corporate information, which is most efficiently distributed over e-mail.
Historically, e-mail messages have included primarily text. Eventually, users were able to attach files for delivery along with an e-mail textual message. Such attached files are often called “attachments.” Many e-mail systems support attaching multiple documents to an e-mail message. Unfortunately, when an e-mail user desires to forward an attachment, the attachment is conventionally forwarded along with the message containing it causing the forwarded e-mail with attachment to be encapsulated within the new e-mail.
One type of e-mail system is a client/server e-mail system. The e-mail system can use a centralized post office box that resides on a server somewhere on the network to which client e-mail user computers are attached. The post office box can be used, e.g., to store a message from a sender which can then forward the message later to a temporarily disconnected addressed receiver. The centralized post office can also permit messages to be centrally backed up on a periodic basis. With a client/server e-mail system, a portion of the e-mail generation program can reside on a client's computer (the computer of the sender or receiver), and another portion of the e-mail system can reside on a server computer. E-mail application software can run on a variety of operating systems and computer system platforms. Conventionally, e-mail messages are stored on the central server computer and are accessed via the client user computers.
Another type of client/server e-mail system is known as “groupware.” Groupware enables functions in addition to the communication capability of e-mail including, for example, project management, location independent cooperation and information accessibility links.
Examples of e-mail systems include, for example, Lotus cc:Mail available from IBM, Outlook, Exchange, and MS Mail available from MICROSOFT of Redmond, Wash., USA, PROFS and OFFICEVISION available from IBM of Armonk, N.Y. USA, All-In-One from Compaq of Houston, Tex., USA, online service provider integrated e-mail systems such as, e.g., that provided by AMERICA ONLINE (AOL) of Vienna, Va., USA, the Internet Protocol's Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and various Internet based e-mail systems such as those available from JUNO and NETZERO. Examples of groupware include Lotus Notes available from IBM, Exchange available from MICROSOFT, Collabra Share available from NETSCAPE, and Groupwise available from NOVELL.
Early e-mail systems sent messages to users within an organization known as an intranet system, with little consideration taken to interacting with other e-mail systems or networks. An intranet is a term often used to describe a stand alone network or group of networks which includes a related group of senders and receivers, such as, for example, the employees of a commercial company.
Some intranet e-mail systems are equipped to inter-operate with other e-mail systems. Computers coupled by a network communicate by using communication software programs which in turn use a communication language or “protocol.” Some e-mail systems are implemented using a so-called “open systems” communications method such as the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols. The TCP/IP protocol suite includes the SMTP e-mail functionality already mentioned.
An internet (i.e. with a lower case “i”) is a network which couples two separate networks to one another. The global Internet (i.e. with a capitalized “I”) is an internet that grew out of a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project. The Internet originally served a largely technical audience composed of the military, government agencies, and academic researchers and scientists. The original goals of the project were to allow researchers to share computing resources and to exchange information, regardless of their locations, and to create a resilient, fault-tolerant wide area network (WAN) for military communications. The global Internet implements communication using the TCP/IP communications protocols.
On-line service providers originally provided e-mail system access to individuals via modem connections. On-line service providers include, for example, American On Line (AOL), CompuServe, and Prodigy. Online services traditionally created offerings targeted toward home computer users. These providers often provided proprietary e-mail systems to connect their users to one another. In time, users on proprietary on-line services, were able to send messages to users on other e-mail services via the Internet.
During the mid-1990's, commercial enterprises and individuals increasingly discovered the benefits of being connected to the Internet, eventually creating a mass-market phenomenon. Today, although access is limited in some areas, most countries have ties to the Internet. Thus, the Internet has enabled widespread, standardized intercommunication between users of disparate e-mail systems.
Small and medium sized businesses have many users, which do not have access to a computer with which to send and receive e-mail. Workers in various professions including, e.g., healthcare workers in a hospital and retail, because of their jobs, may not have access to conventional email. It is desirable that all employees of a business have access to e-mail resources for such purposes as, e.g., for efficient distribution of information to employees from an employer. In many cases, it can be desirable that the employer not be required to purchase a computer for use by each of the employees. It is also desirable that the employer be able to filter out any junk e-mail, commonly known as “spam,” being sent to the employees. It is also desirable that employees such as, e.g., in a retail business, production, or operations such as a hospital, not be permitted to access their e-mail at all times in order to maintain high worker productivity.
Conventionally, when a sending user of an e-mail desires to send an encrypted e-mail message to a receiving user, unfortunately, the sending and receiving users must either be on compatible e-mail systems or must go through complex set up and configuration procedures prior to sending the encrypted e-mail message. Conventional e-mail systems can be complex to configure.
Conventional e-mail systems lack standardization in handling of encryption.
Thus, what is needed in an improved e-mail system that allows for the encryption, sending, receiving and decryption of e-mail in a heterogeneous network environment.